Alabama Football Recruiting: Updates on 2013 Commits and Targets

Naturally, Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide have one of the most impressive recruiting classes in college football right now.

The scary thing for other programs, especially in the SEC, is that the Crimson Tide aren't done on the recruiting trail just yet. This is a program that's going to continue to get better.

The world of college football recruiting is often full or surprises. Things can happen in the blink of an eye, especially for a program like Alabama. That can make it hard to keep up. But you won't have that problem anymore.

If you're a fan of Alabama football or even just college football recruiting in general, consider this to be your "one stop shop" for Alabama recruiting.

You'll find all the news, analysis and updates on commitments and targets that you'll ever need right here.

Update: Four-star running back Alvin Kamara, who has Alabama and Georgia on top of his interest list (247Sports), may likely end up taking his last visit to Alabama. Michael Carvell of ajc.com reports on the visit situation:

Kamara has a tight friendship with Alabama assistant Kirby Smart. He said that Smart had requested his final official visit and “I’ll probably do that.”

The last visit is important in recruiting because a program is essentially able to make the final impression with a recruit before he makes up his mind. Kamara could end up being a good change-of-pace back for the Crimson Tide if he were to commit to Alabama. He has yet to set dates for official visits, according to Carvell.

Update: The Alabama 2013 recruiting class has moved up to the No. 1 spot, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Alabama is one of the hottest programs in recruiting right now and the momentum seems to be building after the Crimson Tide were able to land the commitment of 5-star wide receiver Robert Foster.

The wideout picked Alabama over the hometown Pittsburgh Panthers, which goes to show you how much of a draw Alabama is with elite recruits.

Cooper Bateman could well be the quarterback of the future for Alabama. He has good size and is pretty fast for a quarterback. McLeod, on the other hand, will be a serviceable backup, so he's a good recruit to have on board.

It's also worth noting that 3-star quarterback Luke Del Rio (son of NFL coach Jack Del Rio) will walk on as well. AJ McCarron is a redshirt junior, so there's no better time to start prepping his replacement. If you're asking me, Bateman will be the guy.

Overall, 'Bama may have the best running-back class in the country. Derrick Henry has the potential to be a superstar. He has the size of an outside linebacker and the speed of an elite running back. He's the perfect combination of a power and speed back. I have a feeling he'll eventually be challenging T.J. Yeldon for playing time.

The depth in the backfield is going to be incredible. Tenpenny and Jones will be solid backups. The talent level won't drop much when they enter a game. Frankly, they would be starters for almost any other program.

O.J. Howard has the potential to be the best tight end in college football. He has elite speed and great size, so he's going to be a constant mismatch. Corners and safeties will have a hard covering him because of his size, and linebackers will have no chance to stick with him because of his speed. Howard is going to be a major playmaker for Alabama.

The same could be said for Foster. He's one of 'Bama's biggest commitments so far. He is big and fast enough to be a deep threat, and he'll be a more than solid No. 2 to Amari Cooper. He could also be used in the slot effectively because he's shifty and skilled enough to run after the catch.

Alabama's quarterbacks and running backs will be very happy that Saban was able to recruit this group of linemen. They all have great size and will fit nicely in 'Bama's offensive scheme. I expect this group to be the next wave of great blockers for Alabama.

If Saban can land Tunsil, this group will go from great to elite. Tunsil is the No. 1-ranked offensive tackle in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He has the size, strength and athleticism to be an elite player, especially at Alabama.

There is still a lot of room for improvement here, and there are obviously several great recruits still on the board. So the potential for this group is incredible. DeMarcus Walker has what it takes to be a very good. He has good size, speed and can be a versatile defender for the Crimson Tide.

Montravius Adams is 'Bama's must-have recruit. He can be utilized as a defensive end in the 3-4, and he has the size and speed to be dominant. He'll be able to play strong against the run, but his technique and quickness would make him a great pass-rusher, even as a 3-4 defensive end. Alabama's main focus should be on recruiting Adams from here on out.

Robert Nkemdiche, the nation's No. 1 recruit, is an interesting option, of course. One has to wonder if Saban would move him to the "jack" linebacker position. That said, Ole Miss appears to be in the driver's seat for his commitment.

Jonathan Allen is the premier recruit of this group and arguably the premier defensive recruit for Alabama. He has the potential to be a force on the edges of the 3-4 as an outside linebacker. That said, don't forget about Jones. He has tremendous speed for an inside linebacker and could end up being a very underrated commitment who plays a huge role for Alabama.

Reuben Foster is an interesting name to bring up. He's a former Alabama commit and the Crimson Tide are on his interest list, according to 247Sports. Realistically, though, Georgia seems to have the best chance to land his commitment. I also wouldn't count out Auburn, even though he recently backed out of his commitment to the Tigers.

Alabama has put together a very good class of cornerbacks, but landing one of those two safety recruits is going to be very important for this group.

Tony Conner is the big name, ranked as the No. 2 overall safety in the 2013 class, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. But Bell has a ton of potential as well. He's a little bit smaller, but he has great speed and athleticism.

The ideal situation would obviously be landing both and playing Bell as a free safety and Conner as the strong. Still, getting the commitment of just one of these two elite recruits would be huge for Alabama.

Ardarius Stewart is an extremely talented football player who can do a lot for Alabama, but I think his greatest impact will be as a kick returner. He's listed as being able to play quarterback, wideout and safety by 247Sports.

He could end up being an important and versatile player for Alabama. Mazza is the No. 2-ranked long-snapper in the 2013 class, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.